Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series) (31 page)

He tugged her close. “Thank you for
a wonderful lunch, Kerri.” He smiled down as he gently brushed a stray lock of
hair from her face. “Everything was delicious, especially the cook.”  

She felt the blush. Couldn’t stop
the heat from invading her face, but she could control her lips, and they slid
into a wide smile. “You tasted pretty good, too.”

He had tasted great. She would
never again be able to eat champagne soaked strawberries or drink her sangria
without immediately thinking of the wildly hot, Connor McCall.

“There’s more where that came
from.”

God, I hope so
.

He lowered his head toward hers and
Kerri dropped the blanket she’d been holding to put both her hands around his
neck while standing on her toes to meet his lips.

Ignoring the chaotic thoughts that
whirled in her head about him being a cowboy and experienced and a diehard
Texan, Kerri instead listened to her body, and his, and gave herself up to the
kiss. It was high time she took a chance and lived a little, starting by
silently agreeing to everything promised by his embrace.

Slow and lazy and deep. He took his
time driving her out of her mind. And she was. Delirious and crazy and shaking.
But Connor was the one to pull away first, and her insides quivered at the
sight of undisguised desire burning in his eyes. Desire she felt to her very
core. It was shocking what he made her feel, and want, with a single kiss.

She had zero control when it came
to him, and the fact he had the same problem when it came to her made it all
okay. Very okay.  

“That alone was worth the ten
thousand dollars.” He grinned, eyes warm as he brushed a thumb over her bottom
lip.

“I still think I owe you a few
hundred dollars worth, though.”

He raised a brow, and her
temperature, when he cupped her face and drew her bottom lip between his teeth.
But instead of taking advantage of her opened mouth when she gasped, he soothed
her lip with his tongue, then gently but firmly held her away.

“I think I’d better collect them
later, darlin’,” he said, voice rough. “I don’t trust myself right now.”

Right there with him, she drew in a
shaky breath and nodded. Fingers entwined, they walked to his truck, dropped off
the blanket and basket, then headed back to the fair and the cook off.

As she walked hand-in-hand with the
handsome cowboy, she had to admit, it was fortunate Connor had had the sense to
break the kiss, because Kerri found she was, for the first time in her life,
senseless.

A
few hours later,
they finished their private supper on the blanket in the back of his truck.
Connor was happy. He glanced down at the woman resting back in his arms, a content
expression softening her face; yeah, Kerri was happy, too. The brilliant chef
won first place in the cook off. Like there was ever any doubt.

The woman sure could cook. She’d
wowed the judges, and a line of tasters had wrapped around the booth down the
fairway eager to sample the winning chili. The committee, and a beaming Emma, had
presented her with a trophy that now sat near the empty basket.

All that was left were three delicious
strawberries. She picked one up and smiled at him with a playful gleam in her
eyes. His heart bucked in his chest as she moved in closer.

“Wanna share?”

Hell yeah.
Bodies.

“Absolutely.”

It’d been too damn long since he’d
been insider her. Too damn long. If it weren’t for the fact Kerri was singing
with Jordan and Cole later, Connor would’ve whisked her back to the ranch or
her apartment or somewhere private along the way for their own bit of heaven.

“All right then, cowboy. Come get
some.”

His heart rocked in his chest as she
sunk her teeth into the strawberry, careful not to bite all the way through
then offered him the other end. Happy to oblige, he bit the berry, then took
her mouth and shared the strawberry with her.

Hot damn, she tasted good. So damn
good. His groin tightened and throbbed behind his zipper, and he classified the
strawberry as the most erotic, tastiest one he’d ever shared. Nibbling at her
lips, he took his time, lazily drinking every bit of sweetness she offered,
quite happy to kiss the woman forever.

“Uhum.”

The sound of several clearing
throats and soft giggles had him slowing the kiss before they broke for air. He
glanced at their interrupters.

Figures
. His brother, Jordan
and Brandi, who’d showed up in time for the cook off. The three stood by the
truck grinning from ear to ear.

Cole smirked. “Sorry to break up
your private party, guys.”

Bullshit, he didn’t look sorry.

“But we’re due at the bandstand in
less than a half hour, big brother.”

Damn
. He’d forgotten about
that. Connor nodded, jumped off of the truck then turned to help Kerri. His
groin tightened with a painful throb. The angle put him face to face with the
tastiest part of her.

Jesus
, he never had this
much trouble controlling his desire for a woman before. But with Kerri? Shit.
He was toast. A sap. Putty in her hands.

He swallowed a groan. That was the
problem. He wanted to be in her hands, and have her in his.

At least the last part was doable.

Gripping her waste, he lifted her
with ease and slid her down his hard body, enjoying her soft curves without
moving a muscle. By the time her feet reached the ground, the need blazing in
her eyes matched the size of the one ready to burst in his jeans.

“Okay,” Jordan said. “Please tell
me you have more of those strawberries, because…wow…that kiss was hot!”

Kerri stiffened up in his arms, and
her face turned crimson, but she smiled and pointed to the cooler. “There’s two
left.”

“Sweet.” A second later, Jordan reached over the side of the truck, grabbed the cooler, then turned to her husband
and smiled. “I think we just found the best dessert of the night. One for us
and one for Brandi.”

The quiet designer shook her head
as she held up her hand. “No, I don’t think so. Probably too much—”

“Only about thirty for half,” Kerri
said, cutting the woman off with a bunch of gibberish Connor didn’t understand.

Brandi’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“See? There you go,” Jordan said, handing the woman a strawberry…
his
strawberry, while she kept his other
one.

Dammit. He’d had plans for them
later.

Kerri’s chuckle rumbled through him,
and the look in her eyes told him she’d read his mind.

“Don’t worry, I have more in my
apartment,” she told him in a hushed tone that had his dwindling erection at
full tilt once again.

“So,” Jordan said to Brandi. “You
just have to find someone to share it with and you’re all set.”

Connor smiled as he caught sight of
his friend approaching behind the others. “I think I see a volunteer now. How
about Kade?”

“W
hat about me?” Kade
asked.

Connor watched as the designer’s
smile disappeared from her face at the sight of Kade rounding the truck. Had to
be the uniform. She’d never looked at his buddy so cold before, and he was a
little surprised by the designer’s reaction. As soon as Brandi had caught a
glimpse of the guardsman she’d stiffened, and the interest that had flared at
the mention of his friend’s name quickly disappeared from her eyes.

Yeah, very interesting. Her body
language at the restaurant a few weeks back had been relaxed…interested. Not
stiff and cold like now.

“Brandi needs you to share her
champagne soaked strawberry with her like this,” Jordan replied, then bit into
the side of the berry and offered his brother the other side. They proceeded to
demonstrate…

Christ
. Is that what he and
Kerri had looked like? His sister-in-law was right. It was hot.

Kade stepped toward Brandi and smiled.
“I’d be more than happy to share your strawberry, Brandi.”

The woman appeared frosty. And rigid.
She glanced at Kerri who nodded and smiled. Brandi straightened her shoulders
and turned back to his friend.

“No thanks.” She shoved the berry
into Kade’s hand and stepped back. “It’s all yours.”

His buddy frowned. “Why? You have
something against soldiers?”

Brandi shook her head. “Nope. I
respect the military.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Her chin lifted and eyes held a
combination of sadness and flight. “I have something against
kissing
a
soldier.” The designer shifted her gaze to Kerri. “Congrats on your win.”

“You’re not leaving, are you?”
Kerri asked.

“Yeah,” Brandi said, moving
backwards. “I’ve got to see a guy about…a…thing.” She nearly tripped in her haste
to get away.

By this time, Cole and Jordan had
finished their strawberry and were watching the exchange with as much interest
as him and Kerri.

His brother grinned at Kade. “Still
got a way with the ladies, I see, man.”

“Yeah.” Connor laughed and jumped
in for some ribbing. “You need to work on your follow through. She nearly broke
an ankle trying to get away from you.”

His buddy turned to them and the
scowl disappeared from his face. “That just means I get the whole strawberry to
myself.”

Then the bastard ate
his
dessert right in front of him, and took his damn time, too.

“Come on, bro,” Cole said, slapping
his back. “We’d better get going. Why don’t you walk with us, this way you and
Kade can grab one of the few tables?”

Kade fell into step with them,
placing his arm around Kerri. “And don’t worry, I’ll keep Connor company and
out of trouble while you play.”

“Good luck.” Kerri’s laughter kept
the situation light.

 Which is what it was. Light. Kade
was just joking with him, but for a split second, even knowing this, Connor had
experienced a burst of uncontrollable rage. Which was weird, because he didn’t
do rage. Up until last Thanksgiving, that had been a Cole thing.

Yeah, the woman he held hands
with…she brought out all kinds of new feelings in him. Strong ones. And hell,
he had no idea what to do with them. But that wasn’t Kade’s fault, so it was
time he lightened things up.

“Get your own date,” he said with a
grin, wrapping an arm around Kerri’s waist and dragging her closer. “Quit
trying to steal mine.”

Kade’s brows rose. “Oh, so you and
Kerri are on a date?”

Where they? He looked down at her and
the hope in her eyes was exactly what his heart wanted to see.

“Yes,” he replied, smiling at the
pleased expression on her face. “Yes we are.”

“Speaking of dates,” Cole spoke as
they continued to walk toward the bandstand. “Where’s Kevin?”

Connor nodded. “Yeah, I haven’t
seen him all day.”

“Are you kidding?” Kade chuckled. “He’s
in buckle bunny heaven.”

Ah, yeah. Connor had forgotten how
the venue was always a Kevin harem waiting to happen.

“But Kevin isn’t part of the
rodeo.” Kerri frowned.

Kade snickered. “Tell that to the
buckle bunnies. They don’t seem to care.”

They were still laughing when they
reached the bandstand area. Connor stopped and turned to Kerri. He still
couldn’t believe she was enjoying the fair. With him. His date.

Monica wouldn’t. His first fiancée
had hated the dust and the dirt and the smell. Tiffany, his second, she didn’t
mind, but well, that’s because she was probably doing half the rodeo contestants.
But Catherine? Hell, his third…and worst. When he was a contestant, she would
sit there and cheer and had him so damn fooled he hadn’t trusted his judgment
in years. Sure, she’d cheered and took a real interest in his life, and work
and ranch...and bank account. Because he was her fiancé?

Oh, yeah, sure, but mostly because
she’d planned to kill him and take over Wild Creek.

Christ
. His gut still
twisted into knots every time he thought about the conniving blonde. Thank God
he’d overheard her talking about it, or who knows where he might be.

Probably six-feet under instead of
walking on cloud nine, thanks to the beautiful, sweet, giving brunette next to
him.

“I guess I’d better get going,” she
said, brown eyes warm with a flicker of apprehension. “Just not crazy about
being up there as if on display, again.” She smiled bravely.

Damn, she was adorable.

He wanted to pull her under the
bleachers and show her just how adorable he found her, but well, not a good
idea with hundreds of people around.

Standing toe to toe, he brushed a
thumb over her lower lip and smiled. “You’ll do fine, darlin’. I love to hear
you play and sing.”

She didn’t do it often. Was more a
Jordan/Cole thing, but he always loved her voice. Soft, sweet, sometimes with a
punch. Kind of like the woman.

Kerri blushed, and then surprised
the hell of him by cupping his face, lifting on her toes and initiating a kiss
right in front of the others.

His chest swelled. Literally
swelled at the action and what it meant. She admitting feelings for him,
showing others he was important to her.

Yeah, he was definitely heading to
cloud ten.

She drew back, and even though she
was flushed and blushing at the same time, Kerri didn’t shy away, didn’t run,
and that did something to his already swollen heart. Cracked it open a little
more.

“Enjoy the show,” she said, then
turned and walked away with a smiling brother and sister-in-law.

Kade cleared his throat. “So, will
you be holding the wedding at the ranch, too?”

Connor twisted to look at his grinning
friend. “Very funny. It was just a kiss.”

But Connor knew it was more. They’d
staked a claim. Each of them. Right there in front of everyone. He rubbed his
chest as he watched Kerri walking toward the stage. And,
Christ
, he was
both elated and terrified at the same time.